GLOOMY
by toukosyo
Summary: ᴰᴿᴵᴾ ᴰᴿᴵᴾ ᴰᴿᴼᴾ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴏᴜs ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ, ɪs ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪɴ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ? ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɪɴ ᴍᴀʏ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴀsᴛ ᴀ sᴜɴɴʏ ᴅᴀʏ
1. ꀤ

"J-Juvia.. is sorry, she w-was.."

Rain was dancing down the glass panes of the guild hall, the view of the sudden storm outside being obstructed by the streaks of raindrops.

Gajeel stood firmly against the infirmary door, protecting the unconscious girl inside.

Nobody knew what happened. One minute the skies were clear, the next, a downpour followed by an injured Juvia passing out at the guild doors.

Gray ran into the guild, his eyes falling onto the infirmary door. Though, there was one problematic obstacle. Gajeel.

"Please Gajeel, let me see her."

Although it went against everything Gajeel stood for, he knew that if anyone would help Juvia, it was Gray Fullbuster. He snarled something under his breath, but reluctantly let him go through to where she was.

Juvia was lying neatly on an infirmary bed, her hair resting over her shoulder. Although she herself looked peaceful, her injuries looked anything but. Although plastered and stitched up it couldn't be denied that something awful happened; no amount of bandages could hide it.

"Damnit..." Gray put his hand to his forehead, turning to face the wall. Why didn't she tell him she was leaving for a mission? Why didn't she ask him to come...

He turned to look at her face again.

Out of frustration he began holding his head, trying to stop himself from kicking something in the room. He felt a firm grasp on his shoulder, only to find Erza standing next to him.

"Gray, don't blame yourself, you know Juvia wouldn't want you to."

"Erza... "

Although Erza scared him when she wanted to, she had a strong reassuring gaze held in her eyes. She had a good view on these two and their relationship, helping both parties when necessary.

Mira opened the infirmary door carrying some water. She went and refilled the drip that Juvia was attached to.

Gray tilted his head, "It's just water? Doesn't she need any painkillers or anything?"

Mira shrugged and gave her signature smile, "What better way to help water than with water?"

Gray and Erza shared a look of confusion.

"I'm kidding, you know. She's been on painkillers up until now, but she told us that if anything happens, water usually helps."

Erza strode up to Mira, swinging her arm around her. "Ah! Good job Mira. Very well done."

Gray watched this odd scene, he wonders how she makes it through the day sometimes...

Gray had stayed there for hours. She still hadn't woken up yet, and Gray couldn't take much more stress. He was pacing at the foot of her bed, waiting for any sign. He was so focused on her that even when Natsu teased him for being so worried, he wasn't phased. He just threw his middle finger up, and that was that.

Gajeel hadn't budged either. Although he liked to dismiss it, he and Juvia had a strong relationship. He's known her through all of this and vice versa. Juvia made him laugh, even if it was at her, he appreciated it. Seeing her learn to be happy, it was worth joining the guild. He even met Levy from it- and everybody else in the guild, of course.

And, though he didn't want to admit it, he missed Juvia and her energy that she brought to the guild. He knew more than anyone how much she deserved that, and how starved of affection she felt before Phantom Lord disbanded.

The rain weighed heavily on her shoulders, and Gray Fullbuster managed to lift it. Though he couldn't stand the guy much, he had respect for that.

Gray stared at the floor. What happened to her? Mira didn't recall her going on a mission... there were so many questions. What did she mean when she opened the doors?

_"J-Juvia.. is sorry, she w-was.."_

He didn't understand. And he didn't like that he couldn't understand, not one bit.

He would've questioned it further, had he not seen her hand twitch into motion in the corner of his eye.

He scrambled to her bed, desperate to see if she was alright.

Her hands gripped the bedsheet and her eyes cautiously opened, squinting immediately from the intense light.

"Juvia!"

Juvia turned and jumped at the sudden noise, she seemed a bit dazed, which was understandable.

"Oh, right, sorry. You got injured and came here, I was just... I'm glad to see you're okay."

Her eyes met the man standing by her bed, shirtless.

She cleared her throat, but her words still came out slightly hoarse.

"Juvia.. got hurt? W-where... Where is Juvia?"

Her eyes wandered around the room, eyeing up the contents.

"The infirmary."

Her eyes narrowed on Gray's exposed chest, or rather, guildmark.

"Fairy... tail?"

Gray began to grow uneasy. "Of course, silly. Your guild? Juvia, stop joking around."

"Do you know Juvia? She isn't in your guild."

It all fell into place, as much as he didn't want it to. That's why she felt so off, so cold. He put it down to the aftermath of whatever she went through, but in reality, she lost her memories.

Gray couldn't process it.

He waited so long. He was going to tell her everything, but yet...

He looked at her closely. He had been to excited to notice it the first time, but she was different. Her posture was tense, her eyes slanted and dull.

The rain hit hard against the glass, a cold reminder of the Rainwoman sitting across from where he was standing.


	2. ꀤꀤ

"Juvia must thank Fairy Tail for taking care of her, but she really should be heading back to the headquarters in Oak Town."

Though she spoke with a similar amount of politeness, her tone was completely different. Monotonous, blank, empty, similarly to her eyes. Usually filled with optimism and light, this current Juvia emitted a neutral aura, neither malicious or good intent clear.

This nonchalant attitude disturbed Gray to his core.

The sudden commotion caused Gajeel to walk into the infirmary, which was what caused Juvia to relax slightly. Gajeel wasn't aware of the problem yet, but eyed her up and down, noticing the atmosphere in the room wasn't right.

"Gajeel-kun, did you come to get Juvia? or did Master José send you?"

Gajeel doesn't usually show much feeling toward people, but once he realised what she meant by that, even he started to look disturbed. He and Gray shared a look of unknowing what to do next.

Juvia got up from the bed and made her way, unsteadily, over to Gajeel's side.

Gray's head hurt. How were they supposed to tell her the truth? It sounds like a half-arsed lie, that she joined the guild she was rivals with, and that seven years had passed without a trace, and that she was madly infatuated with him, and-

Before his mind could spiral into more 'and scenarios', and before Gajeel could think up a plausible reply, Erza pushed the infirmary door open.

"Juvia, I'm glad to see you're awake, Gray was worried sick," She spoke, confidently crossing her arms, "I even saved some strawberry cake for you, though... I ate it whilst waiting. It's the thought that counts, right?"

Juvia shuffled about slightly whilst hiding behind Gajeel, clearly not liking this attention.

"Gajeel-kun, we mustn't be late." She tugged at his arm, clearly indicating her intentions of leaving.

Gray was speechless, just watching her. The way she held herself and spoke held a small hint of familiarity, but it was drowned out by her lack of optimism and cheery attitude. Her eyes scared him the most: they were blank, no light in the slightest. They always held such love for him, but now, just held confusion, verging on disgust.

It made him feel sick, as he was regretting the times he'd ignored her.

Erza stood confidently, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Oh? Are you and Gajeel taking a job? You really should be resting."

Juvia's eyes slanted, her brow furrowing slightly. "Gajeel-Kun. I'm leaving."

She strode out of the infirmary, leaving the three in shock.

Erza had her arms folded, staring at the two. "If you two dimwits said anything to upset her, I swear to-" But Gray had to interrupt. "Erza, no. Juvia thinks... she thinks she's still in Phantom. I don't know what happened to her, but she's lost... all of her memories of us, of Fairy Tail."

Juvia walked out into the main hall, getting glances from nearby tables. A blonde girl ran up to her, holding her by the shoulders.

"Juvia! You're awake! We were all so worried!"

Juvia froze up, as stiff as a board. She studied the girls face. Something about her made her feel uneasy.

"Excuse Juvia."

She nonchalantly removed the girls hands from her shoulders, and continued to walk to the guilds exit, leaving Lucy in shock.

The cold air was refreshing, as she took a deep breath in, and exhaled. She felt exhausted, but considering that she'd been allegedly injured, that was understandable. Her gaze shifted upwards to the rain falling from the clouds.

"Drip drip drop..."


	3. ꀤꀤꀤ

"What the fuck was that?"

Gajeel started pacing up and down near the bar, whilst the others sat down to discuss what they should do about the return of 'Juvia of the Deep'.

It was only in this moment that, although they knew Juvia very well, they knew nothing about her from before she joined Fairy Tail. Well, that's almost true. One person knew.

All their gazes turned to the pierced dragon slayer, as he snarled in response. "You really think she did much talking to me in Phantom? You lot must be denser that I thought. Juvia was... different. I don't know what the stripper did to her, but after their fight she made a complete 180."

Gray held his face in despair. He was usually one for hiding his feelings, but this was an exception.

Usually Natsu would tease him about this, but put off by a few nudges from Lucy, he left him alone.

Gray and Juvia's relationship was unique, for sure, but it was just finally clicking into place. He looked down at the scarf around his neck, coincidently the one she knitted for him.

Next time he sees her, when she's... herself, he's going to tell her how he feels, properly. No half-arsed answers. No vague responses. The three words she's been waiting for since the skies opened up.

...

* * *

...

The rain pelted down above.

Juvia stood in front of an abandoned headquarters, once residing Phantom Lord. All that remained was mostly rubble, and remnants of the main hall.

She caught eye contact with a passerby. "excuse me, sir. What happened here?" prompting them towards the once looming structure.

"oh, that? After Fairy Tail beat Phantom, they disbanded, seven years ago. They just kind of disappeared. Haven't heard or seen any of them since. Good riddance, I say."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, the intensity of the rain increasing.

The man continued walking, leaving Juvia to question how seven years had passed in what felt like a few days.

Her head ached, and her eyes felt heavy. Emotion surged inside her, something that felt alien to Juvia. She felt sad, but she didn't know why, like something very important was missing. Was it that Phantom Lord are gone? She couldn't quite place it, but she felt like she'd lost family.

A forced laugh escaped her lips. "Family? Juvia really must be still recovering. She's never had such things..."

...

* * *

...

Meanwhile, the family she subconsciously yearned for were working as hard as they could to get some idea of where she could've gone.

"There are reports of heavy rain that travelled from Magnolia to Oak Town. She must've gone straight to Phantom Lord, or at least, what's left of it..."

Gray sat slumped at a table in the corner of the guild. Lucy and Natsu shared concerned looks in his direction, not knowing what to say. You know it's serious when Natsu knows to keep his distance.

Gray suddenly sat up, tugging on his coat collar to straighten it. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go to Oak Town."

He walked out of the guild doors before anybody could reply. "Hey, Ice-Brain! Wait up!"

The rest of Team Nastu ran after him, exceeds in tow.

The train journey to Oak Town was quiet, occasional small talk between Team Natsu. Aside from Gray. He sat resting his chin on his palm, staring out into the rain, which is now pelting down the closer they get to their destination.


End file.
